title: Purification and properties of RNA polymerases from mother cells and forespores of sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: Bacillus subtilis sporulating cells at stage III were fractionated into mother cell and forespore fractions by means of a lysozyme-detergent method. Three forms of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzymes, termed M sigma, F sigma, and F delta, in addition to core enzyme (alpha 2, beta', and beta) have been purified from the cell fractions. Enzymes M sigma and F sigma are present in the mother cell and forespore, respectively, and contain sigma factor of 55,000 daltons in addition to the core subunits. On the other hand, enzyme F delta is present specifically in the forespore and contains delta 1 factor of 28,000 daltons instead of the sigma factor. The amount of RNA polymerase in the forespore is about twice that in the mother cell. The enzymes M sigma and F sigma also differed in their elution profiled from DEAE-cellulose columns and in their heat stabilities indicating that the two sigma-containing holoenzyme forms may be different in their structural properties. The enzyme F delta transcribed B. subtilis DNA about 1.6 times more actively than enzyme F sigma, and the enzymes M sigma and F sigma transcribed the DNA about 2.2 times more actively than did core enzyme.
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004355:Drug Stability; D006358:Hot Temperature; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011067:Poly dA-dT / Q000378:metabolism; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000201:enzymology; D013698:Templates, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011067:Poly dA-dT; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases